Dzongs are fortresses, which in each valley house the administrative and religious powers. They are white washed structures with tampered walls made of stones. A stone paved courtyard is enclosed on all sides by two-storey high buildings forming a rectangle (shagkhor). In the middle of the courtyard stands the main tower (Utse) usually three to four storeys high, which contains the temples. The windows, very narrow at the bottom of the buildings, become larger in the upper storeys. Dzongs as they are known today date from the unification of the country in the 17th century.

The palaces are found mostly in central Bhutan and date from the early 20th century. The noble families of the area built them. Although the Dzong inspires their layout, the structure is less imposing and the number of large windows makes the palaces more pleasant places to live.

History
Prakhar Ngatshang was built at the end of the 16th century by Tenpe Nyima (born in 1569) who was the grandson of Pema Lingpa, a saint of Nyingmapa school (1450-1521). According to the legend, Tenpe Nyima received a prophecy saying that he should build a temple in the lower Chhume valley where two rivers meet next to a black rock. As he undertook the task, the temple somehow seemed to grow bigger every night, and the villagers observed white monkeys working on the temple after dark. The name of the place Prakhar which literary means, “white monkey” is derived from this story.
The first building of the temple, called Zha khakhang, built in the 16th century, has three storeys with the upper storey containing beautiful 16th century paintings of the life of Padmasambhava.
The main building, the ngatshang, was built in the 1930s by the then Lord of Chhume, Dasho Gonpo Dorji, a descendant of Pema Lingpa. It has living quarters and an impressive main tower (utse), which contains two temples. The largest has exquisite paintings of teaching cycles of Padmasambhava.
Next to the main building is a chapel housing a chorten where the body of Tenpe Nyima’s father, Thugse (“heart son”) Dawa Gyeltsen (1499-?) is entombed. This room also contains superb wall paintings, and it was restored by the second King’s senior Queen, Ashi Phuntsho Chogron (1911-2003) who was the half sister of Dasho Gonpo Dorji. She also built the water prayer wheel in the 1940s.

Architectural style / school and related art works:
The modest architecture of the 16th century Zha lhakhang represents the typical ancient Bhutanese style while the Ngatshang, built in 1930s, belongs to the architectural genre of the palaces built in Bumthang and Trongsa region in the first half of the 20th century.
Prakar Ngatshang has beautiful wall paintings in both the main temple and Zha lhakhang. Those of the Zha lhakhang date back to the 16th century and are particularly unique and remarkable. The metal work on the statues and the chorten is also exquisite.
Masks made of paper mache and dance costumes are kept in a storeroom.

Social cultural function
Till date, the temple complex is owned by the same noble family who built the temples. The temple is the venue of an important festival of Prakhar, durchoe, celebrating the anniversary of the death of Thugse Dawa Gyeltshen, and sponsored by the same family who still owns the place. The festival takes place on the 17th and 18th days of the 9th month in the Bhutanese calendar, which is October-November. The dancers and musicians are monks from the nearby monastery of Nyimalung, also founded by Dasho Gonpo Dorji in 1938.
The whole Chhume valley community attends the festival, which is privately sponsored by the family.

History
The 2nd King Jigme Wangchuck built the Domkhar palace in Chhume valley in 1937 as a summer palace for himself and his elder Queen, Ashi Phuntsho Choeden. It was restored in 2004 to be the residence of the then Trongsa Penlop, now the 5th King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Architectural style / school and related art works:
It presents the typical features of the palace architecture of the first half of the 20th century.
A stone paved courtyard is enclosed on all sides by two-storey high buildings forming a rectangle (shagkhor). On one side of the courtyard stands the main tower (Utse) three storey’s high. The windows, although very narrow at the bottom of the buildings, encompass the entire upper floors, forming wall-like windows. The stonework and the woodwork are magnificent. The religious wall paintings in Domkhar are of great iconographic and artistic value.

Social cultural function
It is a symbol of the monarchy and a testimony of the itinerant court and life style that the 2nd King used to have, changing valleys according to seasons. The palace cannot be visited.

Close by is Trashichoeling monastic school. This monastic school located just behind Domkhar and built by the 3rd King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck for the 16th Karmapa in 1968.
is now disused. It contains unique paintings typical of the Tibetan painting style called “Karma Gadri” which was very prevalent in Eastern Tibet.
It is characterized by uncluttered spaces, a focus on landscapes and pale colors.

Bumthang became the temporary home of famous Tibetan saints of the Nyingmapa school such as Longchen Rabjam (1308-63) and Dorje Lingpa (1346-405) who came from Tibet. The most famous of all the religious men in this area is Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), who was born in the Tang valley of Bumthang.  He built several temples in Bumthang such as Kunzangdra and Tamshing and started a religious lineage.His descendants scattered through central and eastern Bhutan and contributed to the spread of the Nyingmapa school. Dorje Lingpa and Pema Lingpa were also amongst the most important tertons, or “revealers of religious treasures” said to have been hidden by Guru Rinpoche. Drukpa Kagyupa lamas such as Lorepa and the Shabdrung’s father as well as Karmapa lamas also visited Bumthang.

Bumthang valleys were ruled by noble families called Choeje or Dung who descended from prestigious religious lineages. After remaining more or less independent for centuries Bumthang was conquered in the middle of the 17th century by the Drukpas who were unifying Bhutan under their religious and political influence. Jakar dzong became the administrative and religious centre of Bumthang which was governed by a dzongpon. Jigme Namgyal (1825-1881) who was the de facto ruler of Bhutan and the Trongsa Penlop in the mid 19th century, settled in Bumthang where he built the Wangduecholing palace in 1857. His son Ugyen Wangchuck who became the 1st King was born in Bumthang. From Jigme Namgyal until the death of the 2nd King in 1952, Bhutan was governed mainly from Bumthang.